Patty Griffin Original and Solomon Burke Recording
The song has been variously described as "gospely" or "folkie spiritual". In writing about King, Griffin followed other songwriters, such as U2 with "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "MLK", James Taylor with "Shed a Little Light", and Stevie Wonder, whose song "Happy Birthday" about King provided a boost in bringing about the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day national holiday. Griffin's take on King uses visual, naturalistic imagery to describe various states of mind expressed in the speech, but with a generality that could extend to other contexts as well:
- Some days I look down,
- Afraid I will fall—
- And though the sun shines ...
- I see nothing at all.
"Up to the Mountain" first appeared in public during Griffin's concert appearances in the spring of 2005; she has performed it both with her own acoustic guitar accompaniment and also with a band member's electric guitar. Based upon a rough demo, it was suggested to and selected by soul artist Solomon Burke (who had known King) for recording on his September 2006 album Nashville. Griffin participated in the recording, singing a backup part; she later said, "He sang it ten times I think, and I could tell when he got his take—little chills came on my arms."
Griffin recorded it herself officially in a slow rendition built around Ian McLagan's piano, with an accompanying string section, which appeared on her February 2007 album Children Running Through. It was praised by Slant Magazine for being "reverent and inspired without ever becoming over-the-top or heavy-handed," while a BBC review said it had "a feel of cinematic grandness." Thom Jurek of Allmusic stated that Griffin "carries 's inspiration in the grain of her voice" and complimented her respectful and unassuming singing.
Read more about this topic: Up To The Mountain (MLK Song)
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